The fact that it's so all over the place, and because it's such a departure from their previous two albums, which were more psychedelic. Also, just some of the subject matter. Piggies, chocolates, doing in the road, the ladies of the Soviet Union... not exactly your typical pop music fare.

The White Album stands out in my mind because there's so many different genres covered. And after hearing Sgt. Pepper, it's such a different album. In the meaning that it's not psychedelic, the White Album is a bit more back-to-basics concept.

"The first double album was Benny Goodman's Live at Carnegie Hall, released by Columbia Records in 1950. The first rock double album, and first studio double album was Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde in 1966, also on Columbia"

So Bob beat the Beatles to it by a good two years! Zappa, Hendrix, Cream, Donovan, Frank Sinatra, and the Animals (plus several others) also released double LPs before the fabs.

There were some great double LPs before, and lots more after, but I still think the White Album is my favourite double album - if not my favourite album EVER.It covers a whole range of musical styles and diverse lyrical themes, has some of the greatest Beatles vocals ever recorded, a guest appearance by Clapton, some classic songwriting, swings from 1920s pastiche to late '60s way-out experimentation in the space of a few tracks, goes from solo acoustic songs to full-on orchestral arrangements, etc etc.And it is packaged like no other album - they were so big they could get away with a plain white album sleeve, with every sleeve individually numbered.While Sgt Pepper seems to me to be very much of its time, the White Album could be released today and still sound fresh.An amazing piece of work all round. Doesn't matter that the band was falling apart at the time - in fact, that is part of what makes it great.I LOVE it!

^ nice post. I agree - calling the White Album "the 1st double album to matter" is being a bit Beatlecentric to say the least. Dylan surely must have first dibs.Many people I know who are into rock and would not dream of having a Beatles album will own The White album.I think that's because it is their most straight-forward rock album. While it does have a huge variety of styles (but what post Rubber Soul album didn't?) they're all wrapped up nicely by guitar/bass/piano/drum arrangements. Revolver/Pepper-like bells and whistles are at a minimum. Can't be arsed counting but I would bet percentage wise this is their most electric-guitar-heavy album since With The Beatles.And somehow it's gained an aura of mystery and menace mixed in with the fun (fun is important. It went a little AWOL for Pepper and Revolver.) Maybe it's the knowing lyrics, the obvious post summer of love hangover or my inate pomposity. Who knows.

Apart from the things that were already mentioned above, I think the cover is also something that made it stand out. Here's this band that had the most extraordinary album cover ever and what do they follow it up with? A blank one.

And somehow it's gained an aura of mystery and menace mixed in with the fun (fun is important. It went a little AWOL for Pepper and Revolver.) Maybe it's the knowing lyrics, the obvious post summer of love hangover or my inate pomposity. Who knows.

I think you're definitely right about TWA being fun, Kevin. The album sounds like four friends just having a ton of fun, laughing it up in the studio (Though Beatle fans and insiders know better.)

The White Album was the first "album" I bought. Even though it was a cassette with the running order different. I owned 20 Greatest Hits and Live At The Hollywood Bowl first but the first "album" was the White Album.

I didn't know what to think of it the first time I heard it, it was not what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, I just didn't know what to think. I bought it on knowing 'Back In The USSR'. As I listened and heard the diversity, I was excited at what I heard. This was not the pop album I was expecting. Now, some 25 years after I heard it for the first time, and hundreds of listenings since, I am still excited at what I hear.

This is still not like any other album I have ever heard. I have about a thousand albums in my library. 'The Beatles' still stands out to me as a diverse album. It is hard to put the album into words. From the opening jet sounds to the last strings it is an enjoyable ride. Some have said that they skip over some songs such as "Revolution 9" or "Wild Honey Pie", I don't understand this, and I enjoy these pieces equal to any others.

"It's the Bloody White Album"...

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And now you've changed your mind, I see no reason to change mine --Lennon/McCartney

there is for me anyway, a very comfortable feel to the album,i can't really explain this in any reliable sense. it is so much different than say, rubber soul or magical mystery tour. birthday and helter skelter, both songs have such a nice bounce and rock and roll feel to it. happiness is a warm gun, i still don't get what that song's about, in fact.

happiness is a warm gun, i still don't get what that song's about, in fact.

John told the story that he saw a gun magazine that George Martin had. The magazine had on it's cover, "Happiness Is A Warm Gun". There has also been speculation that it refers to sticking a needle in your arm and the warm feeling that you get. I think the former is the more plausible answer.

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And now you've changed your mind, I see no reason to change mine --Lennon/McCartney

The White Album stands out in my mind because there's so many different genres covered. And after hearing Sgt. Pepper, it's such a different album. In the meaning that it's not psychedelic, the White Album is a bit more back-to-basics concept.

John told the story that he saw a gun magazine that George Martin had. The magazine had on it's cover, "Happiness Is A Warm Gun". There has also been speculation that it refers to sticking a needle in your arm and the warm feeling that you get. I think the former is the more plausible answer.

oh i know all that, quite shocking actually. and i have seen that explanation dozens of times. the song just has such a warm, inviting and dreamy feeling to it, somewhere between lucy in the sky, and your bird can sing and i'm so tired.